Transition Sunnyside

Transition Sunnyside is an effort by the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association dedicated to transforming our neighborhood into one that relies more on people than on machines, more on community than on the electricity grid, more on creative local solutions than on imported products, more on the slower pace of human locomotion than on speedy fossil fuels. We are motivated by the combination of Peak Oil and Climate Change, and a desire to be better prepared for other kinds of emergencies as well.

For the past year we’ve organized a series of talks, films, and workshops around the subject of fossil fuels and how to use less of them at the local level; how to grow more of our food, meet a larger share of our transportation needs ourselves, and how to keep our houses comfortable using more insulation and creative approaches to heating. Many of you attended these events, and we enjoyed getting to know you a little better.

Transition Towns is an upbeat, grassroots model for transforming neighborhoods, towns, and cities into resilient communities, capable of thriving in a world where cheap oil and a stable climate are fast becoming things of the past. In July, 2009 our little SE Portland neighborhood became the first Neighborhood Transition Initiative, and the 37th initiative in the US (most of the others are towns or cities, including Transition PDX (Portland).

SNA, particularly through the sustainability committee, aims to prepare for short and long term emergencies, to build community resilience in the face of uncertainty, whether due to climate change, peak oil, or economic instability. We welcome your input and participation as we try to increase the visibility of these issues and improve our collective preparedness.

The point of Transition is to encourage the community to take these issues seriously and to begin grappling with the implications of our fossil fuel dependence. Weaning ourselves from gasoline, natural gas, and electricity generated from coal isn’t going to happen overnight, and some of it is not easy. A lot of it, though, is easier once you get to know someone who’s figured out how to do it.